


You're My Home

by DreamingKate



Category: Glee
Genre: AU!Klaine, AnderBros, Brain Damaged Blaine, Child Abuse, M/M, injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2014-07-05
Packaged: 2018-02-07 14:13:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1902027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingKate/pseuds/DreamingKate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cooper and Blaine were always there for each other after their father beat Blaine until he had brain damage. It’s always been just the two of them so when Blaine meets Kurt and falls in love, Cooper doesn’t know what to do. He’s too scared to let go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Cooper lived his life by waiting. 

 

When he got home from school, he picked up his brother from daycare and got dinner started. He then would run upstairs and he and Blaine would wait until their father came home from the bar. They waited until he passed out drunk. Sometimes, when he was particularly upset Cooper would tell Blaine to wait inside as he forced his dad back, getting a few bruises in the meantime. He could wait this out. He was patient. 

 

When he arrived back at the run down house after school he heard crashing and his heart stopped. Blaine was a good boy, he would hide in his closet just like Cooper had told him too. 

 

"Stupid little fuck!" Another crash echoed through the house and was followed by a scream. Cooper threw his backpack on the floor and sprinted up the stairs, screamed running together now. Before he could reach Blaine’s room, the screams stopped. 

 

He skidded into the bedroom, breath catching in his throat. Their father was swaying, face red and sweating, as he repeatedly slammed Blaine’s head into the already blood streaked wall. Blaine’s eyes were closed and he was limp in his father’s hold. 

 

Cooper saw red and his father didn’t even have time to turn around before a baseball bat slammed into his head. His father went to his knees with a grunt and Cooper kept swinging until he stopped moving. 

 

The next few hours were a blur, an ambulance came to pick up both Blaine and their father and Cooper sat in the back of the ambulance with his brother. His brother who was always so animated, so excited was laying limp on the gurney.

 

"Sweetie?" The nice social worker who had finally gotten Cooper away from Blaine so he could be rushed to surgery. "Let’s go talk."

 

He followed her, feeling numb.

 

"Is my brother okay?" He asked shakily.

 

"We need to photograph your bruises," She said softly and he glanced down at her badge, Lindsey. "So we can add to the file."

 

"You don’t think my dad will go to jail? Even after he smashed my brother’s head in?" Cooper said slowly. "There isn’t enough evidence?"

 

"The more evidence, the stronger the case. You’re a good guy Cooper and you clearly care about your brother. I want to put your father away for a long, long time. I can’t make you do anything since you’re eighteen but I strongly suggest it."

 

"Is Blaine okay?"

 

"A doctor will have to talk to you about that," Lindsey looked sympathetic. "Can the police get some pictures?"

 

"Okay," Cooper nodded. 

 

"And is there anyone we can call? An older family member? Someone needs to take care of Blaine since…"

 

_Since their mother ran out and their father was in jail._

 

"No…there’s no one."

 

He stared a the door, willing the doctor to walk through as he stripped down and the police snapped pictures of the bruises littering his torso and arms. Two hours later he was sitting in the waiting room, ignoring Lindsey and her offered cup of coffee. He jumped up as soon as the doctor walked into the room, smiling tiredly at Cooper.

 

"You’re Blaine’s brother?" The doctor asked. "I’m Dr. Keller, the chief pediatric neurosurgeon. First off, Blaine pulled through. He had some pretty bad bleeding in the brain and we had to scramble to stop it but we did."

 

"Thank God," Cooper swayed a little, feeling like his legs were going to give out.

 

"This was plus the broken ribs and wrist. That boy is lucky to be alive. But…" Cooper’s heart stopped. "Because of the bleed in the brain there is a high chance that he will have brain damage."

 

"What does that mean?"

 

"With kids his age there is good chance he will bounce back with therapy. It’s going to be hard to tell what the extent of the damage is but it can be anything from difficulty with motor skills, speech, social skills, or intellectual skills," The doctor caught Cooper’s elbow as he swayed again. "We will take good care of him but be aware that these things happen."

 

Cooper nodded, tears filling his eyes. Sweet Blaine could be brain damaged. Goofy, fun-loving Blaine wouldn’t be the same. 

 

"I can call someone from child services," Lindsey said softly. "Someone has to be a guardian for Blaine."

 

"Me. I want to," Cooper turned towards her, wiping his eyes. "I want to be his legal guardian." 

 

"Cooper, you’re only eighteen. You have another half of your senior year to go and then college. You can’t do that with a dependent, especially one who needs so much help," Lindsey said soothingly. "I know you want to help but you’ll put your life aside. This isn’t a part time job."

 

"He’s my little brother. I was supposed to protect him and I didn’t. Now, I…I need to be there for him," He wiped at his face. "I want to be his guardian. I can find a job. I can do this."

 

"I’ll get some lawyers to come meet you," Lindsey gave him a warm smile. 

 

"Do you want to see your brother?" Dr. Keller asked and Cooper nodded frantically. "He’s still out but you can sit with him."

 

Blaine looked so, so small in the hospital bed. His curly head of hair was wrapped in thick bandages and he looked ghastly pale under the dark bruises. Cooper took a seat next to him and after a moment’s hesitation, ran his hand down his brother’s arm. In that moment, everything became real. Blaine was really laying in this hospital bed. They were parentless. He had to drop out of school. He had to forget about college.

 

"B?" He whispered, tears running down his cheeks when Blaine didn’t respond. "I am so sorry. I’m so sorry this happened. But…but I’m here. Okay? Big brother is going to make this better. Big brother is here."

 

He lay his head down on the bed and waited.


	2. Chapter 2

Blaine woke up three days later. The five year old was confused and in pain, sobbing for his brother and trying to reach for him. The damage was almost instantly obvious. Blaine’s eyes had difficulty focusing on anything, his speech was slurred and he had trouble coordinating his movements. He was scared. He was hurt. He didn’t understand what was happening. 

 

Cooper tried his hardest to be there as long as he could but his already meager bank account was running out. The social worker had approached him and told him that without a steady job and a place to live, there was no way the judge would give him guardianship. So, he spent the time Blaine was in appointments and in therapy walking around town and handing out his resume.  

 

"No experience," The owner of the only nice restaurant in Lima, Basil’s, frowned over his resume. "No leadership experience, no…no high school degree. Tell me Cooper, why should I hire you?"

 

"Because…because I’m passionate about French food?"

 

"We’re an Italian restaurant," Her frown deepened. 

 

"I just really need this job," He was getting desperate, thinking of his brother. 

 

"Sweetheart, finish high school first," She handed him back the paper with a sad smile.

 

"Listen…"

 

"I have four other people going for this job. A host makes good money," She gave him a little shrug and turned away from him.

 

"Ma’am, I just dropped out of high school. My father beat my brother into a coma and he has pretty severe brain damage," Cooper blinked away tears,taking a few steps closer to her. "I’m trying to become his guardian and I can’t unless I have a job. I’m all he has…I can’t let him go into some home. Please, I don’t have any experience but I will work hard. I swear."

 

"How old is your brother," Her eyes softened. 

 

"He’s five," Cooper felt his heart pounding.

 

"Well…I can give you a shot," She handed the paper back and his mouth dropped open. 

 

"Really?" His mouth stretched into a wide grin, as he gripped his resume tightly.

 

"I’d rather have someone work here who is going to be dedicated and who is determined to help someone than a college kid who just wants a new phone," She rolled her eyes slightly and reached up to fix her severe bun.

 

"Thank you so much ma’am!" Cooper grinned. "I promise I’ll work hard!"

 

"Please sweetie, call me Gloria," She reached forward and squeezed his arm.

 

Ten years later, Cooper was still working at Basils. Gloria had let him rent the apartment above the restaurant and he had been promoted to manager. He worked hard, incredibly grateful to Gloria for helping them start their lives. She allowed Cooper time off to take Blaine to his physical therapy and classes and was more of a mother to them to both of their parents had ever been. Gloria remembered birthdays, Gloria bought them their first Christmas tree, Gloria loved them both and greeted Blaine everyday with a kiss and a snack.

 

"What’re you doing Coop?" He glanced up at his brother’s soft voice and smiled. Blaine was standing in the doorway, dressed in an old pair of plaid pajama pants and an oversized Basil’s shirt. He had one hand pressed against the doorframe for balance but still swayed slightly. 

 

"Just…working on the books," He motioned down to the binders. "Just a lot of money B. Not much fun."

 

Blaine took a few steps, stumbling a few times before catching himself on the couch. Hw swayed slightly before sliding into one of the chairs. For a long moment, Blaine just sat and watched him before reaching for a pen, reaching forward to the paper.

 

"I got it," Cooper moved the paper over a little, out of his brother’s reach.

 

"I just want to help Cooper," He reached for the paperwork again. 

 

"B, this is important," He sighed when Blaine’s face dropped. "I have to give these to Gloria tomorrow."

 

"But…but I want to help," Tears filled his eyes and Cooper scrubbed his hands through his hair. He knew it was harder for Blaine to control his emotions, but he still got annoyed that his brother never got out of the occasional tantrum. "Cooper, I want to help."

 

"I know you do little brother," Cooper smiled and ruffled his hair. "How about you go get your math homework and we can work on it side by side?"

 

Blaine’s face lit up and he grabbed his backpack, in its place on the last chair of the dining table. He carefully pulled out a folder and got to work on his homework, area in shapes. After trying to work on the budget for the next month for a few minutes, Cooper gave up and watched his brother. He was incredibly, unbelievably proud of how far Blaine had gotten. He still needed physical therapy to work on his balance and he was behind in curriculum but he was trying so hard. 

 

"Hey bud," Cooper put his pen down. "Want to do anything special for your birthday on Wednesday?"

 

"I dunno," Blaine shrugged, still writing slow and steady. 

 

"Sweet sixteen," He grinned, kicking his brother lightly under the table and laughing at Blaine’s annoyed look. "Sure you don’t want to have some friends over and…"

 

"No."

 

"Why not?" Cooper asked, smile dropping as Blaine frowned. 

 

"Because I don’t have any friends," Blaine whispered, voice barely there. "No one wants to be friends with the weird kid who can’t walk in a straight line or who takes ten minutes to write their name."

 

Cooper sighed, setting his pen down. He missed the days when Blaine didn’t recognize that he was too different from other children. It broke his heart when Blaine came home crying because a few other kids made fun of him. They knew he was different and the children knew he was different, latching onto that fact and teasing him relentlessly. 

 

It only got worse after he came out.

 

Blaine never really said anything to Cooper. He just always knew. It wasn’t some huge reveal or speech, just something that had always been a part of Blaine. He just preferred boys to girls. Being gay was part of him and the only difference it made was Cooper hoped for a future brother-in-law instead of a sister-in-law. 

 

"Blaine…"

 

"Jeff Paulson said that he was going to hurt me," He breathed and Cooper felt his heart drop. 

 

"He said what?" He gasped. 

 

"They said…they said," Blaine worried his lip in between his teeth. "They said that they were going to beat the retard and the gay out of me."

 

"Fuck," Cooper let out a long breath. 

 

Understandably, Blaine was terrified of any threat of violence. He used to have constant nightmares of being hit and to this day, and he would flinch at quick movements. At first, he tried to hide any threats because he was scared of causing Cooper more stress, but then he came home with a black eye and Cooper completely flipped out. 

 

"I’m sorry," Blaine whispered. 

 

"I’m going to get you out of that school," He scowled. "We’ll just…we can try for a private tutor until we get it figured out."

 

"That’s expensive," Blaine stared intently at his fingers which were clumsily picking at his pajama pants.

 

"It’ll be worth it B," Cooper smiled but was already going through the money in his mind, trying to figure out how much time they had before he had to get Blaine into another school. "Hey, we can go to the mall next weekend okay? For your birthday."

 

"That sounds fun," Blaine perked up a little, giving his brother a smile before turning back to his homework. 

~*~

 

"I’m just saying, just because a shampoo smells good doesn’t mean it’s good for your hair," Kurt shrugged as he bit into his soft pretzel. He groaned a little as the cinnamon sugar hit his tongue and tried desperately to ignore the number of calories in the sugary dough. 

 

"But it smells like coconut!" Rachel complained, nibbling on her own pretzel. 

 

"And your hair looks dry and brittle," Kurt raised his eyebrows and found a small table. "It’s kind of atrocious."

 

"Rude!" Rachel gasped but then broke into a bright smile and giggled. "It’s not that bad…is it?"

 

"No," He gave her a warm smile. "But…it’s not good for your hair in the long run."

 

Rachel self-consciously reached up to run her fingers through her hair. It had been far too long since they had a mall date and Kurt forgot how much he missed it. 

 

"So…since we’re already being bad…can I go grab a milkshake?" Rachel had been eyeing the ice cream shop for at least five minutes. "I’ll grab you one too. Vanilla right?"

 

"You know me so well," He laughed and she bounced off to grab them two milkshakes. 

 

Kurt took the time to finish up his pretzel and lean back in his chair. The mall wasn’t super crowded, which was weird for a Saturday but there were still enough interesting people to keep his attention. There was the goth guy buying a corn dog. There was a middle aged woman who was trying to squeeze into a latex outfit five sizes too small. There was the attractive curly haired boy in front of him…

 

Wait.

 

"I’m sorry what?" Kurt felt his face heat up when he realized that the boy had been talking to him. "I kind of zoned out."

 

"It’s okay," He gave Kurt a shy smile and Kurt felt butterflies for a moment. 

 

The boy was really cute. His hair was a mess of curls and his eyes were the most beautiful hazel, sparking with his equally beautiful smile. He was dressed in a red henley and jeans which looked a little short but somehow he could pull it off. The only flaw Kurt could see was the dark scar running from his hairline down his cheek. 

 

"Did you need something?" Kurt asked awkwardly when the boy didn’t say anything.

 

"Oh right!" The boy blushed as well. "I’m Blaine."

 

"Hi Blaine, I’m Kurt," He smiled and Blaine gave him that grin again.

 

"I’m here with my brother," Blaine motioned towards the insanely hot guy sitting a few tables away. "And…I just thought you were really cute…"

 

"Really?" Now Kurt felt a goofy smile on his face. This  _never_  happened to him. Cute guys didn’t just come out of no one and flirt with him. 

 

"Yeah," Blaine smiled back. "I’m sorry if you’re not…"

 

"I am," Kurt said quickly. 

 

"Good," Blaine looked relieved. "Me too. Do you like coffee?"

 

"I love coffee," Kurt couldn’t keep the smile off his face. "It’s one of my favorite things."

 

"Mine too…would you want to get coffee sometime?" Blaine looked adorably nervous, twisting his fingers together. 

 

"I would love that," Kurt could see Rachel hovering in the background, eyes huge and standing on her tiptoes to see better. "Can I have your phone? I can put my number in."

 

"Sure!" Blaine quickly reached into his pocket, missing once before he pulled out and older fashioned phone. "I’m…not very good at texting."

 

"It’s fine," Kurt smiled and quickly put in his number before calling his phone. "There, I like just talking on the phone too. It makes me feel vintage."

 

Blaine laughed and Kurt quickly decided it was one of his new favorite sounds. Just something about Blaine seemed…different. He seemed more carefree, more innocent, more fun. It was really refreshing and Kurt knew that he was instantly smitten. 

 

"I should go before my brother comes over to drag me off," Blaine seemed like he was concentrating as he put his phone back in his pocket. "But can I call you later?"

 

"I’ll be waiting on pins and needles," Kurt smiled, lifting both his shoulders a little in excitement.

 

“‘kay…well bye,” Blaine gave him a little wave before making his way over to his brother. For a moment, Kurt thought he saw Blaine stumble and grab onto a table but Rachel pounced. 

 

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" She shrieked, slamming the milkshakes on the table. "I leave for two seconds and you have a cutie over here flirting with you? Oh my God!"

 

"Stop!" Kurt hissed, looking over to see Blaine and his brother vanish around the corner. "It’s not…flirting…"

 

"What was he doing? Asking for directions?" She scoffed. "No way. Tell me everything."

 

"Okay," He gushed, holding both hands up and Rachel squealed around the straw of her milkshake. "His name is Blaine, and he just came over to tell me I was cute and ask if I wanted to get coffee."

 

"It’s like a fairy tale!" She bounced up and down in her seat. "You’re going to call him right? Oh my God Kurt! You might have a  _boyfriend_  soon!” 

 

"Let’s not count our chickens before they hatch," Kurt reached for his own milkshake. "He was so cute right? And he was so sweet!"

 

Rachel shrieked again and whipped out her phone, instantly texting Mercedes and Tina. As the responding texts came flying in, Kurt was lost in thought. Blaine was adorable, he was so sweet, he was so charming but…something was a little different about him. Kurt couldn’t figure out what it was but that seemed rather unimportant right now.

 

He had a phone call to look forward to. 


	3. Chapter 3

Kurt almost called Blaine about ten times that night but forced himself to wait until after dinner. He thanked Carole quickly as soon as he placed his plate in the sink and raced up to his room, locking the door behind him and throwing himself on the bed. He hadn’t felt this giddy about a boy since Finn was moving in and…and that was weird to think about now. 

 

With a deep breath, he tapped his finger on Blaine’s name and held the phone to his ear. Kurt tapped his fingers on his bedspread as he waited for the other boy to pick up the phone. 

 

"Hello?" He couldn’t hide the smile when Blaine answered. 

 

"Hey Blaine! It’s Kurt from the mall?" Oh God, what if he doesn’t remember him. "Remember me?"

 

"How can I forget?" Blaine laughed and Kurt instantly felt himself relax. "I was wondering when you would call."

 

"Sorry, I was eating dinner," Kurt smiled, sitting up and holding the phone a little closer to his ear. "But I’m free to talk now. I’m not keeping you from anything right? Homework, family…donning your costume before you go and fight crime for the night?"

 

"No, I’m taking the night off of crime fighting," Blaine sounded like he was smiling and Kurt couldn’t keep the goofy grin off his own face. "I finished all my homework and I’m all done with dinner so you have my full attention." 

 

"What did you have for dinner?" Kurt asked, face heating up a little. Of course, go ahead and ask a random, awkward question.  

 

"Pasta," Blaine chuckled. "You?"

 

"Pot roast," It was amazing how easy it was to talk to Blaine. "So…coffee?"

 

"Yes!" Blaine said quickly. 

 

"How about tomorrow at the Lima Bean?" Kurt asked quickly, trying to ignore the fluttering in his stomach.

 

"Ten?" Kurt agreed and Blaine continued, sounding thrilled. "Great! I can’t wait to see you again."

 

"Me neither!" Kurt reached a hand up to cover his mouth as he smiled brightly. "So…I’ll see you at ten?"

 

"Of course," Blaine said softly. "I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll see you tomorrow."

 

Kurt said his goodbye and clutched his phone to his chest, grinning brightly. He had a date. He had a date with a sweet, charming, handsome guy who clearly liked him. It was perfect. With an excited squeak, he jumped up to pick out an outfit.

 

The next morning, Kurt arrived ten minutes early. It had taken him most of the night to decide on his outfit, a red sweater and white jeans, but he was happy with it. It was nice without being too much. Thankfully, the coffee shop was somewhat empty so he grabbed a table and looked outside the window. A few minutes later, a banged up, older Honda pulled up and Blaine stepped out of the passenger seat. 

 

The other boy started walking towards the coffee shop, swaying a few times and losing his balance once before he reached the door. Kurt noticed that Blaine’s brother waited until he was inside before driving off, trying to look through the windows. As soon as Blaine stepped in, he caught sight of Kurt and grinned brightly. With a small wave he took one step towards Kurt and stumbled, catching himself on a nearby chair. Kurt jumped up and grabbed his elbow, making sure he didn’t fall.

 

"Sorry," Blaine blushed. "My balance sucks."

 

"It’s fine," Kurt gave him a reassuring smile as he led him back to the table. As they walked, Kurt was concerned at how Blaine had trouble finding his feet a few times. "What’s your coffee order?"

 

"Oh…I don’t drink caffeine so…hot chocolate?" Blaine shrugged a little, looking a little embarrassed. 

 

"Hot chocolate it is," Kurt stood up and gave Blaine a shy smile before getting in line. 

 

Something was clearly wrong with Blaine. He couldn’t walk very well, swaying constantly. Kurt had to wonder if it had something to do with the scar along his temple and cheek but didn’t want to ask. It was fine, so maybe Blaine had a few…problems. He was still a nice guy and Kurt could easily look past it. Especially when he turned, drinks in hand, to see a tall boy sitting at their table.

 

The boy was wearing a Westerville High letterman jacket and his face was twisted into a sneer. Blaine had slumped down slightly and the back of his neck was turning bright red. Frowning, Kurt walked up to them only pausing when he heard the boy speak.

 

”- mean, I don’t even know why you left. We were just trying to help,” The boy jeered. 

 

"No you weren’t," Blaine snapped back, shoulders set in a tense line. "Now go away."

 

"Excuse me," Kurt broke in, stepping up to the table and motioning down at his chair. "You’re in my seat."

 

"Oh my God, this is a date," The boy’s grin widened, growing nastier. "Blanderson, you’re on a date."

 

"Jeff, please go away," Blaine whispered. 

 

"Did he tell you that I used to help him carry his books to his retard classes?" Kurt kept a dark glare on him as Blaine shifted uncomfortably. "Why’d you transfer? The short bus didn’t go past your house anymore?"

 

"That’s enough," Kurt snapped suddenly, making both boy’s eyes turn towards him. "You need to leave, now."

 

"Excuse me fag?" Jeff glared, standing up but Kurt stood his ground. 

 

"You need to leave. We’re on a perfectly nice date and the fact that you didn’t bathe after practice is kind of ruining it for us. Get yourself and your B.O. out of here. Annnd," Kurt held up a finger when Jeff took a step closer. "My stepbrother is the quarterback of the Titans and he and his friends would not be too pleased that you touched either of us. Also, I was the head cheerleader of the Cheerios and still have a lot of pull with the coach. You remember her? Last time your team played ours, she yelled at one of your players until he peed himself. Was that you? I think it was."

 

Jeff paled a little, glancing between them for a few seconds before scowling and storming out of the door. With a small smile, Kurt set down the drinks and took a seat. He glanced over his cup to see Blaine still staring at him.

 

"Sorry…I get kind of snippy sometimes…" He shrugged. 

 

"I’ve just…never had someone stand up for me," Blaine smiled shyly and took a sip of his hot chocolate. 

 

"I was guessing he wasn’t a friend of yours?" Kurt asked and Blaine quickly shook his head. "Does he go to your school?"

 

"Not anymore," Blaine sighed. "I transferred out. I’m working with a tutor until I find a new school."

 

"Good move, he’s an asshole," Kurt tapped his finger a few times on the cup and noticed how tense Blaine looked, staring down at his drink.

 

"But what he said," Blaine blurted. 

 

"It’s fine."

 

"No," Blaine took in a deep breath. "I mean…I did attend special education classes. I had an incident when I was five and had pretty substantial brain damage…"

 

"You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to," Kurt said softly but Blaine shook his head.

 

"I have trouble with balance. I have trouble with my fine motor skills so I can’t really write or type and…it takes me a bit to process information sometimes," Blaine was staring down at his hands and blushing faintly. "Jeff and his friends really…they made sure I didn’t have any friends and…"

 

"Blaine," Kurt reached across the table to take his hand and smiled at him reassuringly. "It’s fine. I don’t care about the brain damage or anything that jerk said. You are a sweet, funny, adorable guy and I’d be honored to be your friend."

 

"Really? It doesn’t bother you?" Blaine glanced up, a smile slowly forming. 

 

"Not at all. You’re not in pain or anything are you?" He asked, concerned. 

 

"Only when I run into things," The smile grew wider. Kurt couldn’t hide his own smile at how happy Blaine looked. 

 

"I’ve never had a boyfriend. You know how it is being a gay teen in Ohio," He rolled his eyes a little as Blaine laughed. "But I like you. I’ve…I’ve never met anyone like you and I really like you."

 

"I like you too," Blaine was grinning so widely that his eyes crinkled a little at the corners.

 

"But," Kurt sighed and looked up at the ceiling, playing with his empty coffee cup."I have a habit of moving too fast. I crush on someone and then go a little overboard. It happened with…you know, that’s way too awkward of a story for right now. What I’m trying to say is…"

 

"Let’s go slow," Blaine broke in, smiling when Kurt nodded. "I agree. Honestly, I’m still kind of stunned that you like me at all."

 

"I’m hoping to change that kind of thinking," Kurt gave him a wink. 

 

They spent the rest of the next hour talking. Kurt was stunned at how alike they were and had honestly never had so much fun during a conversation. Talking to Blaine was so refreshing, so exciting. His face was incredibly expressive and Kurt couldn’t look away the entire time they spoke, fascinated by the boy. He never asked questions about the brain damage or the story behind it, wanting to wait until Blaine was more comfortable. 

 

"You sing?" Blaine’s eyes lit up as the conversation turned to hobbies. 

 

"I’m in my school’s glee club," Kurt felt his ears burn. "Although I play a bit of piano too. What about you? Do you sing or play an instrument?"

 

"Not really," Blaine shook his head. "I love listening to music and would love to play something, but I don’t know if I can. I mean…you need some hand eye coordination right? But, now I need to hear you sing."

 

"We’re having practice in an hour!" Kurt bounced a little in his seat. "You should totally come and hang out! My friends are really nice…well most of them are. We say it’s practice but really we just kind of goof off and sing after a bit. You don’t have to if you don’t want."

 

"It sounds fun," Blaine nodded with a soft smile. He tried to ignore the anxiety of meeting but just kept reminding himself of what his therapist said. Get out there. Go beyond your comfort zone. "I’d love to go."

 

"I can drive."

 

"Give me a sec to call my brother," Blaine gave Kurt a half smile and shrug. It was easy to say he wanted to go, it as harder to convince his over protective brother to let him. 

 

"I’ll go grab us another drink and a cookie," Kurt stood as Blaine pressed the one button on his phone. 

 

It took less than two rings before Cooper answered.

 

"Hey squirt, want me to pick you up?" He frowned at how worried Cooper sounded.

 

"Actually, Kurt is going to take me to hang out with some of his other friends," He kept his voice down and his eye on Kurt in line. "I know what you’re thinking but I’m fine. I told him about everything and he’s okay with it. I think it’ll be fun."

 

"Blaine…" 

 

"I’m sixteen Cooper, I just really want to hang out with him," He winced at Cooper’s sigh. "I’ll be home before dinner. I promise."

 

"You call me if you need me to pick you up, okay? I can leave work if I need to," Blaine smiled slightly. 

 

"I’ll be fine. I’ll call you later," He glanced up to see Kurt walking back towards him and lowered his voice. "I have to go."

 

"O-okay," Cooper sighed and Blaine could hear his worry. "You call."

 

"I promise," He gave Kurt a shy smile as he came up to the table. "I have to go. Love you big brother."

 

He waited until Cooper said his goodbyes before hanging up and gratefully taking the hot chocolate. Kurt sat down, gracefully crossing his legs and taking a long sip of his coffee. Going to meet Kurt’s friends didn’t sound awesome, but it at least meant that he could spend more time with Kurt and he was more than okay with that. 

 

McKinley High was pretty much the same as Westerville High. The floors were scuffed and the lockers were covered with dents. Blaine also couldn’t help but notice the constant smell of stale pizza and B.O. It was nothing impressive. Then Kurt hooked his arm through Blaine’s and gently led him down the hall to the choir room, and McKinley suddenly seemed like an amazing place. He leaned a little closer to Kurt focusing hard on not stumbling too much.

 

"My friends are a little…odd," Kurt’s lips quirked up in a smile. "So be warned."

 

"I’ll keep it in mind," Blaine chuckled as they stepped into the choir room. 

 

The way Kurt had described it made the choir room sound like some kind of heaven. Looking around the room, Blaine was less than impressed. The risers looked ancient and the ceiling tiles were covered in water stains. It didn’t really look like anything special but the collection of people made the room feel different. A group of students were talking and laughing, soft music playing from someone’s iPod. He could feel the way Kurt relaxed a little and realized what this room was. It was a family. It was safe.

 

"Hey guys?" Kurt spoke up loudly, every head turning his way. "This is Blaine, and I’ve invited him to hang out with us for this rehearsal."

 

Blaine tried his hardest not to fidget as everyone turned to stare at him. Usually, when people stared or gathered around him it didn’t lead to good things. But…this group was smiling, especially the girl who was with Kurt when they met. She was bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet and grinning brightly. 

 

"Perfect!" The teacher clapped his hands together loudly. "We need a new ear to help us with our arrangement."

 

"I’m happy to help," Blaine gave the class a smile and was relieved that Kurt helped him to his chair. He noticed that some of the other students gave him a strange look but ignored it. The looks were not hateful or mocking but simply curiosity. Despite the rather off collection of students, they all seemed somewhat welcoming. 

 

"Practice doesn’t start for ten more minutes," Kurt sat down next to him and the music was turned back up. "But we usually start late anyway."

 

"Are you interesting in singing Blaine?" A pretty Asian girl asked sweetly, sitting on his other side. "I’m Tina by the way." 

 

"Oh, I don’t sing," Blaine smiled and shook his head, wrapping his arms around his stomach. 

 

"Everyone can sing," She nudged his shoulder a little with her own. 

 

The group sang along to the songs on the iPod, trying to out dance each other but usually breaking down into laughter halfway through. They were interested in Blaine but never asked questions that were too personal, never looking for something different to make fun of him with. This was entirely new for Blaine. He had been going to school with the same kids for so long that he had forgotten what it was like for someone to instantly judge him. 

 

"Ooooh! Katy Perry!" The blonde girl (Brittany, Blaine reminded himself) squealed and jumped up to dance with Mike who twirled her around. It didn’t take too long before Blaine found himself really getting into the song, humming softly at first. Kurt laughed and started singing along, blending in beautifully with the rest of the club. 

 

"You make me feel like I’m living a teenage dream, the way you turn me on," He grinned as he sang along, a few people turning to smile at him. "I can’t sleep, let’s run away and…"

 

His chest felt a little tight as he noticed more and more of the glee club members dropping out of the song, staring at him. Now he had done it. He had turned away a group of people without them even knowing about his disability. Blaine started stuttering out an apology, upset that he had broken down the group’s fun jam session right in the middle. 

 

"You don’t sing?" The tall boy with the mohawk, Puck, scoffed. "That’s bull."

 

"What?" Blaine blinked up at him. 

 

"You’ve never had any vocal training?" Kurt asked, raising his eyebrows when Blaine shook his head. "You’re amazing Blaine."

 

Blaine let out a laugh but his smile faded when he saw how serious everyone was.

 

"Seriously dude," Another boy, Sam, said with a huge smile. "You have an awesome voice. You said you were looking for a new school to transfer to? I vote you come here because we have to have you on this team."

 

"Think about it," Kurt’s eyes were bright. 

 

And he did. Through the entire practice he paid only partial attention to the songs, trying to put the pros and cons together in his head. There were still bullies. There would always be bullies who would happily pick on the new, disabled kid. However, this group was filled with people who were misfits and they all looked happy. He could have friends. He could belong. He could be with Kurt every day.

 

"I want to transfer to McKinley," He blurted out during dinner, surprising Cooper.

 

"You hang out with your new boyfriend for one afternoon and already want to go to his school?" Cooper teased, but his smile looked a little strained. 

 

         ”We’re not ready to put labels on us,” Blaine rolled his eyes, taking a moment to focus on spearing a piece of chicken with his fork. “Coop, everyone was really nice. They never asked about the…anything. They included me and they even want me to join their glee club.”

 

"Singing?" Cooper raised his eyebrow. 

 

"You know…I don’t want being brain damaged to be the only thing that makes me different on college applications. I talked to the teacher and he said that the guidance councilor can help me with my classes," His hand started shaking and Blaine put down his fork, frustrated. "Cooper, I can have friends. I can be a part of a team and I can actually finish high school."

 

"There’s this private school…"

 

"That is way too expensive. You’re already working more hours to pay for the tutor," Blaine said softly. "Please Cooper, this will be best for both of us. You need more of a life besides taking care of me."

 

Cooper let out a long sigh, crossing him arms on the table. “You really want to go to this school?”

 

"Yes," Blaine nodded quickly. "I swear that I’ll be careful, and that if I don’t feel safe I’ll tell you."

 

"Fine," Cooper smiled, giving his brother a small shrug. "I’ll call the principal in the morning."


	4. Chapter 4

"So, just step, step, turn, slide, back step, grab…" Mike moved gracefully across the stage, slowing down his movements when he saw the blank look from their newest member. "Too much? Should I go with fewer steps?"

 

"No…" Blaine scrunched up nose and shrugged. 

 

Honestly, everything was too much. For the past few weeks he only had to struggle through lessons in his living room, so transferring to a new school, getting a massive pile of makeup work and trying to learn all of the music and choreography was completely overwhelming. Thankfully Mike had offered to help him out after school to catch him up. 

 

"Okay, from the beginning," Mike moved next to him. "Just two steps to the right."

 

Mike moved like he had no bones in his body. He was so smooth with his movements, like water, and Blaine had a hard time looking away from him as he danced. Two graceful steps, his right leg swinging out in an arch. Mike paused and gave him a reassuring smile. With a deep breath Blaine tried to make the two steps, stumbling over himself when he stepped sideways. 

 

"Damn," He mumbled, gratefully grabbing onto Mike for balance. "I am so sorry."

 

"It’s okay," Mike smiled reassuringly. "You okay?"

 

"Yeah," Blaine winced as his leg muscles spasmed slightly. "It’s fine. I just don’t think I can dance."

 

"Everyone can dance," Mike gave him a grin and patted his back. With a short shake of the head, Blaine sighed. 

 

"I mean, I have brain damage. I was hurt pretty badly as a child and coordination is an issue for me," Blaine refused to meet the older boy’s eyes. "My fine motor skills are also crap. I’m sorry but you’re wasting your time…"

 

"Hey," Mike nudged him slightly with his shoulder. "Finn has two left feet and Artie is in a wheelchair. Everyone can dance. It’s not about the complexity of the moves, it’s about the feeling behind it."

 

"I don’t want to bring you guys down…" Blaine mumbled.

 

"Dude," Mike moved to stand in front of him, placing his hand on Blaine’s shoulders. "Do you want to dance?"

 

"Yeah," He said softly.

 

"Why?"

 

"I guess…I guess I’m tired of being stuck. I feel like I’m trapped in my body and…I don’t want to be," He trailed off, looking back down at his feet. 

 

"Then we’ll keep working until you’re unstuck. I’m not planning on quitting," Mike moved to stand next to him again. "Are you?"

 

"Show me those moves again," Blaine gave him a warm smile and got into the first position.

 

Two hours later he was exhausted, legs aching, but he was able to dance the entirety of the first song. Cooper gave him an odd look when he all but collapsed into the passenger seat, grinning widely. 

 

"Good end to the first week?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. 

 

"I was practicing the choreography with Mike and I am beat," He stretched slightly as Cooper pulled out of the school’s parking lot. "We probably went over it a billion times."

 

"Blaine, the doctor says you probably shouldn’t strain yourself or work too hard," Cooper glanced over at him when they pulled up to a red light. 

 

"I did it," Blaine eyes flashed as he grinned even wider, rubbing a hand on his leg to try to get rid of the aching in his muscles. "I can dance the entire thing all the way through. No shakes, no tripping. I did it perfectly."

 

"No way!" Cooper said brightly, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you little brother. You do look sore though. I don’t want you hurting yourself okay? I’m sure they’ll understand if it is too much."

 

Blaine sat silently in the seat for a while, holding his backpack in his lap. It had been shaky in the beginning but after some work, and Mike’s encouragement, it became smoother. He was able to sweep his leg across, spin on his heel, and follow along exactly to the music. It was far from flawless but he was able to do the entire routine. 

 

"It’s just the first time I’ve been good at something," He whispered. 

 

"Let me know when the performance is," Cooper reached over to ruffle his hair. "It’s funny, I never thought you were into music."

 

"Me neither," Blaine grinned, batting his hands away, and got out of the car. 

 

His legs were aching but he managed not to sway too badly as he walked in to the restaurant. Lily, the sweet college aged hostess gave him a warm smile and waved from where she was seating a couple. He gave her a small smile back and followed his brother back into the kitchen, to where the stairs to their apartment were. 

 

"Oh Blaine!" Cooper suddenly grabbed his shoulder, steering him towards the dessert station. "This is Abigail, our newest pastry chef. Abigail, this is my little brother Blaine."

 

Abigail was a petite girl with wavy dark brown hair swept back into a ponytail and large brown eyes. She smiled brightly at Blaine and held up her floury hands apologetically. 

 

"I would shake your hand but I’d get you all dirty," She shot them both a grin. "But I’m very glad to meet you. Your brother is very sweet and I totally lucked out being hired here."

 

Blaine smiled wider, catching the slight blush on Cooper’s cheeks. In all the years since Cooper had become Blaine’s guardian, he had never dated. Spending so much time with his brother and taking care of him didn’t leave him much time to be in a relationship. Seeing Cooper so flustered was new and way more amusing that Blaine had expected.

 

"She’s cute," He teased as they walked up the stairs to the apartment. 

 

"Shut up," Cooper mumbled, staring down at the mess of keys in his hands. "I still haven’t met your new  _boyfriend._ ”

 

Then, it was Blaine’s turn to blush.

 

The next day, Blaine was feeling good. He hummed softly to himself and went over some of the more challenging dance moves in his head, his trembling fingers fumbling through his combination on his locker. He heard his name called and glanced up to see Kurt walking towards him with a smile. It almost happened in slow motion. Kurt’s face dropped in horror and a huge boy in a letterman’s jacket jumped in front of him. He was only able to stand there, blank with horror, as a shower of blue rained down on his head. Sputtering, he took a step back and slipped on the slushy.

 

"Walk much?" The jock sneered above him when he hit the floor. 

 

Blaine was still wiping ice and dye out of his eyes when Kurt knelt down next to him. With Kurt’s help, he was able to get to his feet and followed him blindly to the girl’s bathroom. Blaine kept his eyes tightly closed and could hardly keep his feet under him as he walked.

 

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked softly when they got in front of the sink, Blaine clutching the counter.

 

Blaine slowly shook his head, swaying so badly that Kurt had to help lower him to the floor. He had been trying so hard to stay under the radar and not get any attention but clearly he had. His swaying, stumbling gait had made him a target. His need for extra help in class made him a target. The club he had joined and loved made him a target. Everything he did made him a target.

 

"Here," Kurt gently wiped a wet paper towel over his eyes and cleared away the remaining slushy. "Are you hurt?"

 

"No," He shook his head, letting Kurt kneel in front of him and wipe at his face and neck with the paper towels. The ice began to soak through his clothes and he started shivering, wrapping his arms around his chest. 

 

"That jerk," Kurt snarled, balling up the paper towels. "I’m so sorry Blaine. I had hoped that they wouldn’t do this so soon."

 

"It’s common?" Blaine asked, wincing as he ran his hand through his hair which was rapidly stiffening into spikes.

 

"It’s so stupid. Pretty much everyone in the glee club has been hit with one at least once," Kurt gently wiped a bit of blue ice off from under his chin. "I never wanted it to happen to you and I am so, so sorry."

 

The looks some of the other students had given him had scared him, and now he knew that they were willing to hurt and humiliate him. But at that moment, despite the burning in his eyes and drying stickiness all over, Blaine felt comfortable. Kurt was still trying to clean him off the best he could with the paper towels, eyes bright and face lined with concern. He was beautiful, Blaine thought feeling breathless. This beautiful boy who just wanted him to be happy, who didn’t see him as a burden, who wanted him to feel like he was supported and brought him somewhere he could make friends.

 

Before he could change his mind, Blaine leaned forward and gently kissed Kurt. The other boy let out a surprised gasp but melted into the kiss, tipping his head forward so they could deepen it. Blaine felt lightheaded as he reached up a hand to cup Kurt’s cheek. For the first time in a long time, his hands were steady. 

 

"I’m sorry," He whispered, pulling away. "I’m getting you all sticky."

 

"It’s okay," A bright smile was spreading across Kurt’s face. "Blue raspberry is my favorite." He leaned in for another kiss, cutting off Blaine’s laugh.

 

"I never got an invite to this show," A drawling voice made them jerk apart and spin around to see Santana smirking at them from the door. "Please don’t stop on my account. Keep making out in the girl’s bathroom like it’s totally normal."

 

"Blaine was slushied," Kurt quickly got tohis feet and reached down to help Blaine up. “I was just helping him clean up.”

 

"With your tongue?" Santana raised her eyebrow. 

 

They practically fled the bathroom, followed by Santana’s loud laughter. In his haste, Blaine wasn’t able to bring his foot forward enough and stumbled badly. Kurt grabbed him by the elbow and steadied him, gently resting a hand on his back once he had his feet under him again. With a smile and cheeks growing red, he happily let Kurt twine their fingers together.

 

"I have a sweatshirt that’ll fit you," Kurt said softly. "Let’s get you into some warm, dry clothes."

 

Blaine didn’t stumble once as they walked down the hall, hand in hand


	5. Chapter 5

Blaine didn’t think he would ever tire of watching Kurt. Everything about his boyfriend (his  _boyfriend!_ ) was graceful. Kurt moved like he was something not human, seeming almost have an unearthly glow surrounding him at all times. He was the opposite of Blaine, all sure movements where Blaine was constantly nervous that his body would fail him and stumble or fall. 

 

Kurt would never fall, and he would never let Blaine fall when he was with him. 

 

His eyes followed Kurt’s fingers as they flowed across the piano keys. Soft music filled the room, making Blaine’s heart swoop with the rises and falls. Kurt body swayed as he played, a small smile on his lips. 

 

"When did you learn how to play the piano?" Blaine asked softly.

 

"When I was really little, my mom taught me," Kurt eyes flickered, shadowed slightly with something that looked like sadness. "She passed away about ten years ago."

 

"Oh Kurt, I am so sorry," Blaine placed a hand on his forearm and Kurt smiled, leaning into him slightly. 

 

"It was a long time ago…it just kind of shows you how important parents are, you know?" Blaine’s stomach dropped and the mention of parents and glanced back down to the black and white keys. "Blaine? What’s wrong?"

 

"I live with my brother," He shrugged, lightly trailing his fingers over the piano keys. "My parents aren’t in the picture anymore."

 

"I’m sorry," Kurt said softly and Blaine felt a swell of emotion, a rush of butterflies in his stomach. "Do you want to talk about it? If not, that is totally fine. I just want you to know that…that I’m here."

 

"I think I’d like to," Blaine gave him a nervous smile. "Um…my mom left when I was two. I don’t remember but…one day she was there and then she wasn’t. I haven’t seen or heard from her since. It’s like she just forgot we existed, like she erased us from her memory."

 

"Blaine…"

 

"My dad was a drunk. Cooper pretty much watched me all the time, taking me to school, cooking dinner, things like that. He would hit Cooper but Cooper always made sure that he never hurt me. Once night…my dad just lost it. I don’t know what I did, I was five, but he just…started beating me. He grabbed me and slammed my head a few times into a wall and cracked my skull. I don’t remember any of it…but Cooper came home and hit him over the head, he saved me," Blaine kept his eyes locked on the keys. "I was in a coma and when I woke…I wasn’t the same."

 

Kurt sat silently next to him for a few moments before reaching forward to interlock their fingers together. He squeezed slightly and leaned over to gently kiss the long scar that ran down his temple.

 

"Thank you for telling me," He whispered. 

 

"He’s in prison now…or maybe not…I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything from him," Blaine sat stiffly, glancing over at Kurt anxiously to see nothing but support and concern. "I’ve never told anyone before…I didn’t think anyone would care."

 

"I care," Kurt wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him in for a long gentle kiss. "God Blaine, I am so sorry you had to go through that."

 

"I mean…I don’t remember it," Blaine leaned slightly into Kurt’s side, just enjoying being close. "My brother has always taken care of me. He pretty much put his life on hold just to be there."

 

"I’d love to meet him," Kurt grinned brightly and Blaine smiled goofily back, feeling almost lightheaded with the sudden rush of joy. 

 

Cooper looked a little less excited when Blaine brought up the meeting. His mouth set into a thin line and he stared intently down at the chicken he was pan frying. Blaine smiled, leaning against the kitchen counter as he gushed about how much Kurt wanted to meet him. 

 

"I just…don’t know," Cooper sighed when Blaine’s smile vanished. "Not to be mean or anything Blaine, but he’s your first boyfriend and you two have only been dating for a couple of weeks."

 

"And?"

 

"And," Cooper drew out the word. "You moved to his school because of him. You talk about nothing else besides him. I just think you’re moving too fast."

 

"He makes me feel safe," Blaine felt himself stiffen, eyes narrowing. "I told Kurt about what happened and he understood. He’s…he makes me feel like I’m something special."

 

"And what happens if it doesn’t work?" Cooper moved the pan to an unlit burner and turned to look at his brother. "He’s a year older right? What happens when he goes off to college?"

 

"We’ll figure it out then," Blaine snapped. 

 

"I don’t want to see you get hurt," Suddenly Cooper looked so much older than he was, face lined with exhaustion and stress. "Blaine I…"

 

"You’re treating me like a child," He spat, eyes burning with tears. "You’ve always treated me like a child. I’m old enough to make my own decisions now, I’m old enough to try."

 

Cooper let out a long sigh, scrubbing a hand through his already messy hair. He stared across the kitchen at his brother, trying so hard to contain his emotions. His body was trembling and he had wrapped his arms around his stomach, leaning more heavily on the counter. 

 

"It’s strange how enamored you are with this boy. Maybe it’s because he’s the first one…"

 

"I like him!" Blaine all but shouted, eyes flashing. "I like him and he likes me. You treat me like I’m a child and I’m tired of it. What happens when I move out? What happens when I want to have my own life? I want to go to college and I know that you don’t think I can. I can’t do anything with you…"

 

He shook his head roughly and turned, keeping a hand on the counter to balance himself, before hurrying to his room. Blaine’s chest felt tight and his head ached slightly as he slid down his shut bedroom door and sobbed. He never fought with his brother,  _ever_ , but this was always on his mind. He saw how overprotective Cooper was, how he always wanted to know where and how Blaine was. 

 

"B?" He flinched at Cooper’s voice on the other side of the door. "I’m sorry. I have some dinner here for you."

 

"I’m not hungry," He mumbled into his arms. 

 

"I can heat it up when you are," He heard the slight thunk of Cooper’s head hitting the door. "I might be a little…overprotective."

 

"A little?" Blaine scoffed, burying his face in his arms when he heard Cooper sigh. 

 

"I always tried to make sure that you were never alone with dad," Cooper whispered and Blaine lifted his head slightly. "Mrs. Little always picked you up from kindergarten and I always tried to make sure that I was home. Dad was always out drinking and I…I never expected him to come home early. I thought maybe that you would get a snack and go to your room so…so I um…I stayed after school to flirt with Lisa Dewey. I didn’t think anything of it…If I had just left on time I could maybe have taken the brunt of it, you would have been safe."

 

"Cooper…"

 

"I thought you were dead," Blaine felt his heart twist painfully when Cooper’s voice cracked. "I honestly thought you were dead just because I had decided to flirt with a girl after school."

 

Blaine could hear the soft hitching breaths coming front the other side of his door and slowly lowered his legs to the floor. He scrubbed at the tears on his face and sighed, reaching up to open the door. As soon as the door opened, Cooper’s head shot up and he nearly knocked over the plate of chicken and vegetables in his haste to turn around. 

 

"I don’t…blame you," Blaine whispered, keeping his eyes on the carpet. 

 

"That makes one of us," Cooper muttered and suddenly it made sense to Blaine. His brother wasn’t overprotective on purpose. He was terrified of something happening if he wasn’t in control. He was scared of Blaine doing things on his own. Just looking at his brother, Blaine was reminded by how young he really was. He was just a year away from thirty and had spent his entire life taking care of him, not once doing a thing for himself. 

 

"Really, I know it’s not your fault," Blaine inched a foot forward and nudged Cooper’s leg with it. 

 

"You wouldn’t be like this if I had just come home," Cooper’s shoulders curled up slightly. 

 

"I am how I am," Blaine gave him a small smile. "And I know that I’m different, I know that I’m…not normal but it’s okay. I’m trying my hardest to be the best me I can be and I don’t know how to be anything else. Coop, Kurt is helping. He’s making me feel like I can do anything. I’m working so hard in school and my grades are improving. Glee is helping too. I’ve been practicing dancing and singing and I’m good. I’m stumbling less, my coordination is better, it’s all better."

 

A small smile quirked at Cooper’s lips and he reached forward to ruffle Blaine’s hair, smile widening when Blaine batted his hands away. He quickly moved his arm down to pull him into a tight hug, placing a kiss on top of his head. 

 

"I don’t know how you got so amazing," He mumbled softly. 

 

"Mostly because of you," Blaine poked a finger into his brother’s stomach. "It’s all helping Cooper. I feel good, I feel safe there."

 

"If Kurt is helping you this much then I like him," Cooper squeezed him again. "I’ll get us a reservation in the restaurant and have dinner on Friday."

 

"Maybe we can make it a double date and you can invite Abigail," His grin widened as Cooper blushed at the mention of the pretty chef. Cooper shoved his head away and stood, offering a hand to his brother. 

 

"Maybe not," He said with a roll of the eyes and a fond smile. 


	6. Chapter 6

Learned helplessness. For as long as he could remember his life had been controlled by others. He had lived in fear for the first five years. He had spent the next few in and out of hospitals, learning about his limitations. Years of medication, therapy and counseling without much improvement had led to one thing. Learned helplessness.

Blaine couldn’t remember the last time he had pushed his limits.

It was comfortable where he was. He had never been expected to do much. If he met his lower standards, he was praised and teachers were pleased. He never had a reason to go past.

But for the first time, he wanted to push. Being with Kurt pushed him past his limits. He had always kept to himself, stayed quiet so as not to bring attention to himself. No one had wanted to be friends with the strange, disabled kid. Then he met Kurt and found that he could have friends, that he could have more, that he didn’t have to be alone. Being in Glee pushed his limits. He tried something new and found that he loved it. Singing made him feel free, for a few moments he was free from the stuttering or difficulty finding words. Dancing made him feel normal, for those few moments he didn’t have to think about how everyone saw him swaying or stumbling.

Nothing quite brought him back down to Earth like an IEP meeting.

Blaine had always been in special education and an IEP was an important part of that. His Individualized Education Program was designed to make his education more assessable to him, but all it really did was humiliate him. There was nothing more demeaning than sitting in a room with about ten other adults and have them make decisions about him, using acronyms he didn’t understand, and to ignore him completely.

He didn’t have a voice in that room, he wasn’t much more than a list of disabilities. Even Cooper seemed lost, holding onto his packet of papers and trying desperately to ask questions, only to have them be put aside.

“So Blaine,” he slunk down further in his chair, glancing up at Mr. Kaden. Mr. Kaden was a rotund middle aged man and…some kind of specialist in the school district. Blaine honestly had no idea what the man did. “We are here to help you the best we can.”

And what a wonderful team, Blaine thought to himself as he scanned the group. Besides Mr. Kaden, there were several other people. Mr. Schuester was there, a very welcome sight to Blaine. Someone from the general education side of the classes was required to come, and while this was clearly Mr. Schue’s first IEP meeting, it was a nice gesture. Sitting at his side as usual was Miss Pillsbury, smiling softly at him with her pen poised over her notepad. A sweet young woman who was a first year special education teacher was pouring over his paperwork, highlighter squeaking across the paper. Principal Figgins looked as confused as ever and had checked his phone at least three times since they had stepped in. Strangely enough, Coach Sylvester sat at the end of the table and had her legs on the table, arms crossed over her chest.

All of them were facing Cooper and Blaine, the only ones sitting on the other end of the table. Blaine was used to this scrutiny, choosing to just sit quietly until it was over, but Cooper was flustered and digging through his messy binder of paperwork.

“As a brain damaged student, you have multiple other disabilities,” Mr. Kaden continued and Blaine stiffened. “We’re going to talk about your emotional disturbances, problems in reading and writing, your coordination, and your speech. Since you are brain damaged…”

“I have brain damage,” Blaine mumbled softly, feeling something he didn’t even know was inside him snap.

“I’m sorry?” Mr. Kaden paused, obviously not used to the students speaking up.

“I have brain damage, I am student with brain damage,” Blaine fixed his eyes on the ceiling as he spoke. “I am not a brain damaged student and I am not  _brain damaged._  It is a part of me. It isn’t who I am.”

Cooper’s hand reached his under the table and squeezed, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Of course,” Mr. Kaden flushed slightly. “And…are your parents going to be joining us soon?”

“No,” Cooper said quickly.

“Young man, I appreciate the support you have for your brother but we need a parent,” he raised his eyebrows and Cooper stiffened in his seat.

“Well, since our mom ran out on us and our dad is in jail, I think we can continue without them. I am Blaine’s legal guardian,” Cooper’s eyes flashed. “Did you even read his file?”

“Okay!” Miss Pillsbury fixed a big smile on her face and raised her hands up. “Let’s talk about how best to help Blaine. That’s why we’re all here.”

“You are well on track to get what we call a special education diploma,” Mr. Kaden continued, looking down at his file.

“Wait,” Blaine blurted, throat feeling tight. “I don’t want a non-traditional diploma.”

“You’re reading at a seventh grade level and I know you are struggling in your general education classes,” the special education teacher said sweetly. “We can put you in my class full time and hopefully we can let you walk with all your friends at graduation.”

“No!” Blaine shook his head, interrupting his brother from asking a question.

“A special education diploma isn’t the same as a standard one,” Cooper placed a hand on his arm. “It’s basically a certificate. Some colleges don’t even accept it.”

“I want a standard diploma,” Blaine said softly.

“It’s easy to say he fails when you don’t do anything to help! Your job is to help make it assessable to him,” Cooper leaned forward. “Not just shove him into a separate room and not let him learn.”

“I want to try,” Blaine nodded. “I…I can do it. I know I can.”

“Have any real adjustments been made in your general education classes?” Coach Sylvester suddenly spoke up. The room was silent and she rolled her eyes. “They say that if you judge a fish by it’s ability to climb a tree, it will spend it’s life believing that it’s a failure. Obviously this kid is smart, it’s just that no one is helping him.”

Blaine took in a deep breath, feeling an unfamiliar emotion well up in him. He was  _tired._  Tired of having people tell him that he wasn’t going to do anything with his life. Tired of seeing how stressed Cooper looked in these meetings. Tired of being told what he couldn’t do.

“Blaine,” Mr. Schue looked at him intently. “How can I make Spanish better for you?”

“Um…” his mind raced, never having actually thought about it before. “Since I have trouble reading and writing…maybe oral tests?”

“Done,” Coach Sylvester pointed at Mr. Kaden. “Write it in the IEP. All general education classes need to provide oral exams.”

He scrambled to do what she said, looking a little scared of her.

“And sometimes I feel really overwhelmed,” Blaine continued. “So maybe if I could step out for a bit.”

“Of course,” Mr. Schue smiled.

“But…” Principal Figgins finally looked up from his cell.

“And if any of these sorry excuses for teachers don’t let you, you can sue the school,” Coach Sylvester continued and Figgins paled.

Once he started, he couldn’t stop. Blaine just spoke nonstop about everything that was difficult in class. He needed to use a laptop instead of writing an essay. He needed someone to read the questions to him. He needed to sit near the front. He needed to clarify everything and with every word he felt stronger.

 _He_ was the one telling people what to do.  _He_  was the one in charge.  _He_ was the one in control.

Blaine felt anything but helpless.

When the meeting was finally over, he couldn’t stop smiling. Mr. Schue was all bright grins, seemingly really excited to put the changes in place. Mr. Kaden and Principal Figgins couldn’t seem to leave the room fast enough, not that Blaine or Cooper really cared.

“I have a sister with special needs,” Coach Sylvester said softly when it was just the three of them. “I took care of her for a long time. Maybe I’m going soft, maybe those protein shakes I drank earlier were expired but…here is my phone number. Call if you need help. I remember how difficult it was supporting someone at a young age.”

“Thank you,” Cooper said softly, taking the offered card.

“Now you,” she pointed at Blaine. “Don’t breathe a word of this. I have a reputation to uphold.”

Cooper turned to his brother as soon as Coach Sylvester walked out of the room, huge smile on his face.

“Little brother, I don’t know what this school has done to you but I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” he pulled Blaine into a tight hug. “Seriously! You have never spoken up like that in an IEP meeting! This is like the first time we have ever gotten a word in. Thank God for that woman, she’s…certified in special education…well that explains why the cheerleading coach was there.”

Everyone had told Blaine how terrifying Coach Sylvester was, and he had avoided her his entire time at McKinley. He knew that she was kind to the students in special education and now it made sense. It was nice to have another ally in his school.

There was a plan, there was a path he had to take. For the first time in his life, Blaine felt in control.

“Let’s go grab dinner,” Cooper gently rested a hand on Blaine’s arm for support. “Tacos?”

“Sounds good,” Blaine grinned. “You don’t have to hold on to me though. I can walk out on my own.”

Blaine looked forward to the day when the feeling of being proud in himself was not so new.  


	7. Chapter 7

Blaine gets giddy every time he looks at how far he’s come. With every step, with every assignment he finishes, he can see that he’s gotten better. He was taking control, and things were improving.

But sometimes, he had a bad day.

As soon as he woke up, he knew something was off. His head ached terribly, making his vision blur. Wincing, Blaine sat up and nearly threw up as the world spun around him. Bile rose up in his throat and the tried to get to his feet to get to the bathroom. It was like the world tilted violently and he fell heavily to his hands and knees, throwing up.

“Blaine?” His brother’s voice made him flinch. As soon as his bedroom door opened and Cooper turned on the lights, he slammed his eyes shut. It only took a moment before Cooper realized what was happening and shut off the lights, but his headache only intensified.

He covered his eyes with his hands, the smell of his sick making his stomach roll. A soft groan left his mouth as a cold cloth was placed on the back of his neck and Cooper gently leaned him back.

“You’re okay,” he said softly. “I have some pills, put your hand out.”

Blaine struggled to open his eyes and tried desperately to hold out a shaking hand. It soon became clear that he couldn’t hold on to the pills, much less put them to his mouth. He managed to swallow them down as Cooper placed them in his mouth and held a glass of water to his lips.

“Let’s get you back into bed,” Cooper had to lift him onto his bed and pulled the blanket back up, double checking the blinds. “I’ll call the school.”

“Gi’e m’nt,” Blaine slurred, annoyed that he couldn’t get the words out. “I…I…”

“It’s fine,” Cooper brushed his hair back to check for a fever and sighed in relief when there wasn’t one. “Just rest up.”

These were the days that Blaine hated. He hated that his brain would randomly short circuit and everything would come crashing down. He couldn’t walk, could hardly talk, and relied on Cooper for everything. He felt like an infant, like he was completely dependent. Although it never lasted very long, it was terrifying.

He was almost a prisoner in his own body.

His mind slowly filled with fogginess and he drifted off, desperate to be pulled under and away from this.

The next time he woke, Cooper was sitting next to him and reading a book. He glanced up and his brother smiled softly.

“Hey there squirt,” he whispered.

“What…” Blaine tried desperately to find the words in his head. He knew exactly what he wanted to ask but the words escaped him.

The aphasia was worse when he was younger. He spent almost a year non-verbal and Cooper had desperately tried to find a new way to communicate with his previously chatty brother. It took time, but the little boy began to regain his speech and now only had occasional slips.

“It’s about eleven,” Cooper handed him a glass of water. “And I know you’re worried about school, but I called and you’re excused.”

Tears filled Blaine’s eyes and he turned away. He was angry. He was angry that he couldn’t stand by himself. He was angry that he couldn’t go to the bathroom by himself. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t even control his own emotions.

It was like no matter how far he came, his body always had to remind him that he was broken.

The buzzing of his phone next to him made him wince, the dull pounding in his head growing slightly worse.

“It’s Kurt,” Cooper glanced down. “He wants to know where you are and if you’re okay.”

The idea of Kurt seeing him like this filled him with anxiety. He tried _desperately_  to come across as someone that Kurt would want. Blaine knew that he had to work harder. He knew how hard it was to try to stay afloat when everything was trying to pull him under.

“Do you want me to tell him anything?” Cooper asked and Blaine just curled his shoulders in further. “This Kurt seems like a nice guy. It’s obvious that you’re crazy about him and if he likes you even a fraction of how much you like him, he wont care.”

Blaine nodded slightly, not trusting himself to speak yet. With a small smile, Cooper handed him another pill.

“I know these make you tired but it’ll help with the migraine,” Cooper said softly and rubbed his back. “I’ll give Kurt a call.”

“Don’t….don’t….”

“I wont embarrass you,” he rolled his eyes.

~*~

Two hours later, a hesitant knock on the front door pulled Cooper away from his paperwork. He hated to admit that he was a little nervous to finally meet his brother’s boyfriend, but it was obvious when he opened the door that Kurt was just as nervous, if not more.

“Hi,” Kurt tightened his grip on his bag’s strap.

“You must be Kurt,” Cooper said slowly. This was beyond awkward, what the hell do you even say to your brother’s boyfriend the first time you meet him? “Come on in.”

“Is Blaine alright?” Kurt hurried into the living room, taking just a moment to look around before focusing back on Cooper.

“He’s fine,” Cooper gave him a warm smile. “This just happens sometimes. It’s because of his injury. He gets terrible migraines, vertigo, has difficulty moving and has a type of aphasia where he can’t always find the words. It’ll get better. He’ll be fine after some rest.”

Kurt’s shoulders relaxed and he nodded. “Can I go see him?”

“Of course,” Cooper nodded, leading him to Blaine’s bedroom. “It’s really nice to meet you Kurt.”

“You too,” he gave him a small smile. “I wish it had been under different circumstances.”

Cooper held open the door and watched as Kurt made a beeline to Blaine’s side. He watched as Kurt gently pushed back his hair. He watched as Blaine smiled up at him. He watched as Kurt leaned forward to whisper softly to him.

Then, he shut the door. It was strange to let someone else take care of Blaine. He had spent most of his life taking care of his brother, but things were changing. Kurt loved Blaine and Kurt was there for him.

He just had to step back and it was going to be more difficult than he thought. 


	8. Chapter 8

It was Blaine’s first day back from his episode when the bullying started up again full force. He tried to keep his head down, stay as quiet as he could, but they descended on him like hungry dogs on a bone.

“And we thought you dropped out.”

“Was the classwork too hard? I know reading and everything is super tough. Maybe you should try those hooked on phonics books.”

“Damn. We thought you had died.”

He was used to working harder in his life, but this was too much. The entire time he was at school, he was nervous that someone was going to hurt him. It all finally overwhelmed him when his math teacher gave him a worksheet clearly meant for an elementary student, smiling at him brightly.

“I don’t want to stress you out too much,” she said sweetly and Blaine thought he would die, staring at the smiling puppy in the corner of the page.

**Math Can Be Ruff, But It Sure Is Fun**

He tried to hurry but his legs were unsteady and his balance was off. One of the jocks slammed into him and chucked.

“Maybe you should be moved to the retard class. I hear they’re counting coins this month, that’s more your speed,” he snarled and smiled until he crashed into Coach Sylvester.

“Figgins office, now,” she glared at him. It seemed like he was going to protest for a bit before slinking off. “You follow me.”

She swept off and Blaine struggled to keep up. His legs were aching and his vision blurred as he finally got to her office, gritting his teeth. Coach Sylvester didn’t even look up as he stepped in.

“I hear you’re having trouble in school,” she said as she opened a file on her desk.

“I guess,” Blaine shrugged.

“And your teachers are following their IEPs?” She glanced up as Blaine frowned.

“Some to the extreme. Mrs. Lindow gave me an addition worksheet meant for five year olds instead of the actual lesson,” he jumped as she pulled a chair in front of her desk.

“I’ll speak to her,” Coach Sylvester’s mouth set in a firm line.

“Can I ask a question?” Blaine asked softly, waiting until she nodded. “Why don’t you teach special education? I mean, you have a degree in it so why just coach cheerleading?”

“Do you know the history of special education?” She raised her eyebrows. “Did you know that children with disabilities weren’t even required to be educated until the mid 70s? Still, people with disabilities are being treated as second class citizens. My sister has Downs Syndrome and never went to school. My parents didn’t know how to help and were told that living in a home would be best. She was never taught how to take care of herself because no one thought she was capable of it.

I don’t teach special education because it is one of the first areas to be cut when budget is a problem. The kids in special education are the first to slip through the cracks because people don’t think they’re capable of it. Since I have a degree in special education, I still can sit in and help with the IEPs. They would fire a special education teacher over a championship winning cheerleading coach. At least I can still help as much as I can and be able to keep helping.”

“I understand,” Blaine nodded, a ghost of a smile on his face.

“My job is to help kids succeed, that is the job of every teacher,” her face softened. “And the kids I work with need extra help. If you like, I can help tutor you for the Ohio Graduation Test. I promise it’ll help more than a few worksheets will.”

“Really?” The slight horror at being in a room with Coach Sylvester for so long was eclipsed by the thought of walking across that stage at graduation.

“I think you’re going places, further than most of the kids at this school,” she gave him a warm smile.

It was a weird feeling to have someone believe in him but it was a feeling he could get used to.

As he left the room, tutoring schedule in his hands, he ran into Kurt at his locker. At his worried look, Blaine stood up on his tiptoes and kissed him. Kurt let out a laugh and leaned back to grin at Blaine.

“What’s gotten you into such a good mood?”

“Will you go with me to Miss. Pillsbury’s office to look at college pamphlets?” He squeezed Kurt’s hands. He still half expected his boyfriend to give him a pitying smile, the smile that said ‘Oh how cute, the disabled kid is trying’, but Kurt nodded.

“Of course I will. If you want to come to my house afterschool I can show you the binder I made of all the schools I was looking at,” Kurt’s grin widened. “We can even go to the same school!”

Blaine felt himself smiling as well. Kurt wanted to go to college with him, that was a future. Kurt was actually planning on a future with him.

But…what would happen when Kurt went to college and found a gay guy who wasn’t disabled?

He tried to shake that thought as he took Kurt’s hand and walked with him to his car.

The binder was packed with pamphlets, mostly in New York with a few in Chicago or California. Blaine felt a little overwhelmed as he flipped through them.

What did college really mean? He would move away from Cooper. He would be on his own with very little safety net. He would be in an unfamiliar setting. He would have to figure out how they were going to pay for it.

There was a  chance he would fail.

“This is the dream school,” Kurt lightly tapped on the brightly colored pamphlet titled NYADA.

Blaine glanced through it. He wasn’t entirely sure if performing was for him yet, he was just breaking out of his shell. Then he looked up and saw Kurt’s smile and how bright his eyes were.

It didn’t matter if he wanted to go to NYADA or another school, he was going to New York City. 


	9. Chapter 9

He had a very vague memory of his mother. 

 

 

Thick cigarette smoke flooded the house regardless of Cooper’s attempts to keep Blaine away from it. He remembered her stringy hair, her hoarse voice, they way her eyes were glazed. 

 

 

He remembered how badly he wanted a mother in the following years after she left. It wasn’t that he had any particular memory of her being warm or loving, Blaine just didn’t want to be the broken boy raised by his broken brother. 

 

 

So, he didn’t even recognize her when she showed up at their front door. 

 

 

Cooper had been to one to gasp out the word mom. Lydia Anderson had probably once been pretty. Her face was gaunt and yellowish, skin flaking around her thin lips. Her long black hair were greasy and swept back into a high ponytail.

 

 

"My babies," her voice was hoarse and reedy as she pulled them both into a tight hug. Although Cooper was stiff next to him and she held too tight, Blaine felt an overwhelming feeling of comfort. For years they had been alone and no matter why she was here, his mother was here. 

 

"What are you doing here mom?" Cooper pulled back quickly, frowning.

 

 

"I just wanted to see my boys," she smiled and stroked Blaine’s cheek, making him smile slightly. "I missed you."

 

 

"Not that we’re not happy to see you, but it’s been like thirteen years. Why now?"  Cooper crossed his arms over his chest.

 

 

"It took me a long time to find you both," Lydia stepped in and Cooper made an aborted move to block her. 

 

 

"Would you like to have dinner with us?" Blaine blurted out, just wanting to break the awkward silence. 

 

 

The silence that followed was even more uncomfortable as they all ate around the table. Blaine tried to imagine what it felt like for a regular family on a Wednesday night dinner. Was it like this?

 

 

"What’s wrong with you?" Lydia asked staring at his tense grip on his knife and fork, his hands still trembling slightly. 

 

 

"Dad smashed his head into the wall. Gave him brain damage," Cooper said coldly, surprising Blaine. "We’ve been working on it."

 

 

"I’m sorry baby," Lydia really did look sorry, staring at his hands. "Are you in a special school or something?"

 

 

"Um…" Blaine hesitated, unsure of how to react to his mother’s insensitivity. "I’m doing pretty well in school. I work with some specialists but I’ll graduate on time. I’m even in Glee Club."

 

 

"What’s that?" Lydia asked around a mouthful of food. 

 

 

"It’s a club where we sing and preform," Blaine felt silly as he mumbled.

 

 

"I always knew you were going to be a star," Lydia smiled warmly. 

 

 

"We’re performing on Friday," he said softly and Cooper shot him a quick look. "I mean…if you want…"

 

 

"Of course!" Lydia squealed, grabbing his hand. "I wouldn’t miss it sweetheart! But…I don’t have the money for a hotel right now…"

 

 

"You’ll stay with us!" Blaine grinned as she squeezed his hands, ignoring Cooper’s frown. 

 

 

"Thank you baby. I’ll sleep on the couch, don’t you worry," she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and smiled at Cooper. "I have the best boys."

 

 

The next morning, Blaine couldn’t stop smiling as he approached Kurt in front of his locker. He had woken up to the smell of pancakes and his mother had given him a kiss before he left for school. It was just like he had always had a mom.

 

 

"Hey," he unbalanced slightly but Kurt caught him. 

 

 

"Hey yourself," Kurt leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. "You seem awful excited."

 

 

"My mom is coming to the concert on Friday," just saying it made him feel warm. 

 

 

"Really?" He could see the obvious strain on Kurt’s face holding back all his questions.

 

 

"Yeah, she…left," he winced, not wanting to make Kurt feel uncomfortable with his family drama. "But she’s back and she wants to be a part of our lives."

 

 

Kurt smiled at him, a little sadly, and hugged him tightly. “I’m so happy for you Blaine.”

 

 

"It’s weird," he shrugged as they held hands and walked down the hall to Glee. "I’ve never really had parents before. I can get used to it."

 

 

By the time Blaine stood with the rest of the New Directions before the concert, he was a bundle of nerves. The night before had been spent watching movies with his mother and Cooper. His brother had been quiet and angry but Blaine could easily ignore him and focus on her for some time. 

 

 

He had a solo, a small part in Royals where he sang by himself with no background music or vocals. The anxiety twisted his stomach and he just tried desperately to remember his dance steps and lyrics. 

 

 

"You’re going to be amazing," Kurt said softly, smiling. "Everyone knows it. You’re fantastic."

 

 

Blaine smiled shakily. He knew that the nerves made his steps more uneven and the dizziness came on stronger. Just focus, he just had to focus.

 

 

As they stepped out onto the stage, he tried to look into the crowd to find Cooper or his mom but it was too dark. When the music started, the nerves vanished and Blaine threw himself into the performance. Most of his steps hit perfect and he was able to easily recover from the few times he stumbled. 

 

 

It was amazing.

 

 

It was exhilarating.

 

 

It was so much fun.

 

 

Blaine was almost giddy as they left the stage at the end. The other members high fives him and congratulated him, Mike ranted about how good his steps were. The rush of the performance and the intense feeling of being part of something so amazing made him almost feel dizzy, this time not from his vertigo. 

 

 

A few of the members left with their parents and Blaine beamed as Cooper walked in. His brother had tears in his eyes and a bright grin.

 

 

"Holy shit squirt," he let out a laugh and ignored some of the glares from the other parents for his language. "I…I had no idea what to expect but you blew my mind!"

 

 

"It was just a small part," Blaine felt himself blush as Cooper pulled him into a tight hug. 

 

 

"Oh hush. You were outstanding, seriously amazing," Cooper gave him a kiss on the forehead.

 

 

"Where’s mom?" Blaine perked up, wanting nothing more than to hear what she thought of the performance.

 

 

"Oh…well…" Cooper’s face fell and Blaine’s heart sank.

 

 

"She didn’t show up," he said matter-of-factly and Cooper nodded. "That’s fine."

 

 

"Blaine," Kurt said softly and placed a hand on his arm which he shook off. 

 

 

"It’s fine," he shrugged. "We should probably go."

 

 

He swallowed down the disappointment and gave Kurt a kiss on the cheek. Cooper wrapped an arm around his shoulders and they walked out into the cold night. The ride home was silent, both brothers not wanting to say anything to upset the other. 

 

 

The crushing disappointment was replaced by disbelief when they stepped into the apartment to find it trashed, many of their possessions gone. Blaine stood frozen, looking around as he took in the missing television, microwave, crushed plates and cups, and even the stolen therapy equipment.

 

 

"Seriously?" Cooper breathed, rushing into the room. He raced over to a small jar shaped like a penguin that they used to keep their extra cash in and he covered his face with his hands when he realized it was empty.

 

 

Blaine knew that Cooper had been saving money for months, wanting so badly to have a Christmas for them this year. Usually they had a nice dinner from the restaurant and exchanged one present each.

 

 

He had wanted to get a tree this year.

 

 

"Fuck, fuck!" He shouted, making Blaine jump. Cooper’s eyes were bright with fury as he looked around their destroyed living room. "I knew she hadn’t kicked the habit. I fucking knew something like this was going to happen."

 

 

Their own mother had robbed them. She had spent a few days with them before getting some people over and stealing everything of value. The realization made Blaine sick, nausea churning in his stomach.

 

 

And he had thought that maybe they could have been a family.

 

 

"I’m so sorry Blaine," Cooper’s voice cracked. "This was your night. You shone on that stage and…I have no idea how we can possibly pay for any of this."

 

 

Cooper let out a sob and his body started shaking. He felt so helpless watching his big brother break down. Blaine knew how hard Cooper had worked, how many years they went without nice things. 

 

 

He moved forward, more unbalanced than he had been in a long time, and launched himself into his brother’s arms. They clung to each other and just cried. 

 

 

"It’ll be okay," Blaine whispered. "It’s okay Coop. It’s just stuff. We still have each other, stuff doesn’t matter."

 

 

Cooper clung to him tighter and nodded. Later they would get a broom and clean up. Later they would figure out exactly what had been stolen. Later they would call the police. Later they would make a plan. 

 

 

But right now, they just needed each other.   


	10. Chapter 10

"This isn’t too bad," Blaine said around a mouthful of lukewarm pasta. 

 

"At least she left the couch," Cooper stabbed at his dinner a little forcefully, eyes narrowed. Ever since the robbery he had been in a bad mood. To try and make up for the lost money and items, he had been working twice as hard but they were still behind. 

 

Christmas had always been a rough holiday for the brothers. Blaine had to sit through his classmates bragging about the huge tree they had, or the cookies their mothers had made, or the amazing gifts they were getting. They never had enough money to spare for a nice tree or many gifts but Blaine liked it. Instead, they got some dinner from the restaurant and watched Christmas movies on television until they went to sleep. 

 

Cooper had even played Santa for most of his childhood, something he knew his parents hadn’t done when he was younger. 

 

But now, they had leftovers and were staring at the empty wall that had once been where their television was. 

 

"It’s just stuff Coop," Blaine sighed.

 

"I saved up for months for that TV," Cooper’s eyes flashed. "And your therapy equipment? Is that just stuff? What about the meds that she stole, is that stuff?"

 

"Yes," he pushed his plate away. "It’s not a big deal."

 

Cooper’s jaw clenched and he stayed silent. Blaine knew how hard his brother worked to make sure that he had what he wanted. He knew that his brother had scarified so much to make sure that he was happy and it broke his heart. 

 

"I…" a loud knock startled them both and Blaine stood, holding onto the table for support. 

 

When he opened the door, he was met with pine needles and bright ornaments. 

 

"Merry Christmas!" Kurt cheered as he poked his head around the corner. "So sorry, we wanted to get here sooner."

 

"We?" Blaine managed to ask as the tree was forced into the apartment. 

 

"Yup! This is my dad Burt, my mom Carole, and you know Finn," Kurt pointed to each person and Cooper joined them at the door, helping steady the tree.

 

"Wow, this is incredibly nice," his blue eyes were wide. "But it’s just too much."

 

"Nonsense," Carole and Finn followed in the rest of the family, carrying a small turkey feast. "I couldn’t stand the thought of you boys spending Christmas like this so we decided to spread some Christmas cheer."

 

It was almost funny how stunned Cooper looked as they invaded the small apartment. Kurt set up his iPod to play Christmas music and he smiled softly at Blaine.

 

Half an hour later, Mr.Schuester and Ms. Pillsbury showed up with a few gifts and bright grins. Moments later Sue stepped into the apartment with a fruitcake made with protein powder. 

 

"It’s too much," Cooper breathed again when Carole finally pushed him on the couch and warned him not to offer to help anymore. 

 

"Presents!" Burt exclaimed loudly, clapping his hands once they had finished a delicious dinner. The Anderson boys were handed several boxes and grinned as they opened gift after gift. Warm scarves, gift cards, and books piled up on the coffee table. Blaine gave Kurt a quick kiss after opening a small box full of bow ties. Cooper teared up when Burt told him to bring in their beat up car for a full tune up and repairs whenever he needed them.

 

Mr. Schuester had talked to some friends at a music store and they had found Blaine the most beautiful guitar. It was by far the nicest gift he had ever received and Blaine could hardly breathe as he gently ran his fingers over the wood. 

 

"I know that you lost some therapy equipment as well," Sue’s voice was uncharacteristically soft. "I can replace it all with the best. I have also been in touch with one of the best physical therapists in the area and she will work you into her schedule."

 

That was what tipped Cooper over the edge. He covered his face and shook his head. “We…we can’t. This is seriously so nice of you but we can’t take your charity.”

 

"This isn’t charity," Burt leaned forward to pat him on the bed. "Your brother and my son love each other. That makes us practically family in my book. We take care of our family." 

 

Family had always just been the two of them. Family meant survival and an anchor. This feeling, this intense support from all these people, was new. 

 

Kurt scooted closer to Blaine, taking his hand as he took in everything around them. It was a weird thing to not stress about what tomorrow would hold. For years they worried about their rent and now college was looming closer and closer.

 

For just one day they were okay.

 

"Merry Christmas," Kurt said softly as Cooper laughed at something Mr. Schuester said. 

 

"It’s the best one I’ve ever had," Blaine kissed him and grinned. 

 

This was the future. He was going to spend the rest of his Christmases surrounded by loved ones and laughter. His chest grew warm when he imagined years later surrounded by the same people, maybe a few kids with Kurt’s eyes or his hair.

 

No questions. He wanted Kurt to be his forever.  


	11. Chapter 11

“You seem distracted,” Abigail spoke up, glancing up from her salad at Cooper who was staring intently at his own plate.

“Hmm?” He raised his eyebrows and she gave him a little smile. 

“I’m just saying…you finally ask me out and you’ve been quiet for most of the dinner. What’s on your mind?” Her smile widened a little as he blushed.

“I’m so sorry,” Cooper sighed, wiping a hand over his face. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time but…I’m having some trouble with my brother.”

“I see…do you want to talk about it? I know it must be hard raising him and I heard…rumors talk about what had happened…” she hesitated as Cooper’s small smile faded.

“My father was abusive. He beat Blaine until he had brain damage and I became his guardian. And…this is so not first date discussion material,” he groaned. “Anyway, I’ve always been there for him, you know? I’ve taken him to therapy appointments and have done everything to help him. Then he just meets this guy and moves schools and he is a different person. He’s singing and dancing and he’s improving by leaps and bounds. Then, then, I find college brochures.”

“And you don’t want him to go to college?” She asked softly and he let out an explosive sigh. 

“No, it’s not…okay yes. I don’t want him to go,” he stirred his soup. “I know it’s selfish and whatever but he’s looking at schools in New York. New York!”

“And you’re worried that he won’t be able to take care of himself? Or that he won’t come back?” She nodded and he threw his hands up. 

“Yes! Exactly!” He nodded furiously before his eyes widened. “I’m sorry. I’m being a terrible date…I haven’t gone out with anyone in a while and clearly I’m out of practice.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Abigail smiled. “It’s not like I said yes to the date just because of your pretty face. You clearly care about your brother and love him more than anything. I think that’s admirable.”

“But my face had something to do with it right?” He winked and she threw a roll at him.

—

“So, how was your date?” Cooper jumped as he walked into the apartment to see Blaine sitting on the couch. 

“Good,” Cooper placed his keys on the dish on a side table. “Why are you sitting there are creepy like?”

“Just working on an essay,” Blaine turned back to his laptop, a Christmas gift from Sue. 

“Yeah? For what?”

“Um…English…” He quickly minimized the page he was on and turned to Cooper with a small smile. 

English. Sure. 

Cooper hadn’t applied to colleges himself but he was sure that it was an application essay. 

For as long as he could remember he had worried. He worried about Blaine even before the injury. He worried about Blaine in the hospital. He worried about Blaine going to school. He worried about Blaine every moment his brother was out of his sight. He worried about money. He worried about work. He worried, worried, worried.

College was expensive, hell the applications alone were going to cause strain. Clearly Blaine was interested in going off to school but scholarships were only going to go so far. 

An overwhelming feeling of shame rushed through him. Cooper had always struggled with money and a college fund wasn’t even in the cards. Plus, New York was expensive. 

He couldn’t help Blaine get to college. His little brother wanted to go out into the world and make something of himself and he couldn’t help him.

On top of everything, Blaine didn’t tell him.

—

Cooper was in the middle of working on some spread sheets for the restaurant when Blaine handed him a piece of paper. His hazel eyes were wide and he looked nervous, steadying himself with his hands as he sat down.

_Dear Mr. Anderson,_

_Congratulations on your acceptance to the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts. We were very impressed by your audition and believe that you will be a wonderful addition to our team._

“You got into NYADA?” Cooper breathed as he read and reread the letter. “When did you…”

“My callback was a few weeks ago,” Blaine whispered back.

“And why didn’t you tell me? I guessed that you were applying but didn’t think you were going to go through with it,” he stared at the letter. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Coop, you kill yourself trying to make enough money for us to get by. I just used some extra from Christmas and used it for the application fee. I never expected to actually get in,” he twisted his hands together. “I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to stress you out more.”

“This is amazing!” Cooper felt tears spring to his eyes. 

“I just did it on a whim,” Blaine’s voice shook. “Kurt was applying and I got it in during a time frame when the application was a little cheaper. I thought it was a miracle that I got the callback anyway.”

“So…you don’t want to go?” He raised his eyebrow and Blaine groaned.

“I mean, it’s an awesome school, and Kurt is going there. Plus, performing is something that I really think I want to do for the rest of my life. But…” He hesitated. “It’s far away from home, all my doctors are here. Plus…how can I be competitive at that school full of people who have been doing this since they were in diapers? How can I do well in those intense dance classes or voice classes? How can I ever dream  that I’ll ever be hired as a performer?”

“Hey,” Cooper reached forward and squeezed his shoulder. “Clearly they saw something in you. They know that you are amazing.”

Blaine gave him a shy smile and his shoulders slumped a little. “I just wonder if I can do it.”

“You’re being stupid,” he smiled. 

“How can we afford this?” Blaine’s voice dropped. 

“Let me worry about that,” he tried to ignore the tense feeling growing in his chest. “We’ll look up scholarships and I’ll ask if I can get a raise. Plus, you’ll be living with a roommate and we’ll look for…”

“I’m living with Kurt,” he suddenly blurted. “We’ve found an apartment with Rachel and Santana. It shouldn’t be too expensive.”

“Oh,” Cooper blinked. “You’ve really thought this though.”

Blaine beamed and nodded, launching himself forward and hugging Cooper tightly. An overwhelming sense of loss rushed through him and he squeezed his brother. 

“I’m going to go call Kurt,” Blaine bounced up, steadying himself for a moment. “Thanks Cooper.”

“Hey, out of curiosity, what song did you sing for your callback?” Cooper asked.

“You’re My Home by Billy Joel,” Blaine shouted back over his shoulder as he slammed the door of his bedroom shut. 

Cooper stared at the acceptance letter for a long time, listening to the sound of Blaine talking happily to his boyfriend. He shouldn’t feel like this, like he was angry at Blaine. 

His brother had gotten into a spectacular school, a school with an incredibly small acceptance rate. He was so proud that Blaine had made this accomplishment but had wanted to be at least slightly involved. 

He just wanted to watch Blaine perform for his audition. 

His entire life had been focused on Blaine. Everything he had ever done was for his brother. If Blaine left, what was he supposed to do?

Now, he just had to worry about making sure that he could afford to give Blaine the future he wanted. 


	12. Chapter 12

Cooper had to grip the steering wheel tightly to keep them from shaking. Ever since he had picked his brother up from the hospital, he couldn’t stop trembling. 

He knew if he glanced over to see Blaine with his stitches on his forehead he would just see that broken five year old. 

“I’m okay,” Blaine whispered. 

“Someone pushed you at school and you lost your balance. You fell down a flight of stairs and got eleven stitches,” Cooper’s voice was calm. “I’ve got half a mind to pull you out of that school.”

“No!” Blaine’s eyes widened. “I have to get a traditional diploma or I can’t go to NYADA.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t go!” Cooper shouted, making Blaine jump. “Wait a few years, do your therapy and then think about it.”

“A few years,” Blaine finally breathed. “Seriously? Cooper, college was never even a dream and it’s happening. My grades are good, I’ve found something I’m really passionate about, and I’m in love with someone. My life is finally working out and I am not going to put it on hold.”

Cooper jerked the steering wheel a little too hard into their parking spot. “I’m only looking out for you.”

“You’re looking out for you!” Blaine spat, getting out of the car. “You’ve been like this ever since I got accepted into NYADA. You’re scared that if I leave it’ll mean that you’ve done  _nothing_  with you’re life. You’re trying to hold me back because you’re jealous.”

“Really?” Cooper let out a laugh as he followed him up the stairs. “I’m jealous of you?”

“Of course not, how could you be jealous of me? People aren’t jealous of me, they pity me. I want to leave this place. I want to go somewhere where I’m not the brain-damaged broken person everyone sees me as,” Blaine slammed open the front door. “And I’m sorry if that upsets you. I’m sorry if I’m taking away your life purpose to baby me forever but I can’t stay here. It’s  _killing_  me.”

“Blaine-“

“I can’t stay here. I want to start over somewhere,” Blaine glanced down at his wrist. “Somewhere where people won’t hurt me for being who I am.”

“And you really think New York is going to be this magical place? Full of rainbows and sparkles where no one gets hurt?” Cooper crossed his arms over his chest. 

“No, but it’s better than here.”

“Maybe you should go to your room,” Cooper felt himself shaking again.

“Really? You’re dad now?” As soon as the words left his mouth, Blaine paled and his eyes widened. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-“

“Yeah.”

“You’re not dad,” Blaine whispered, taking a shaky step forward. “I’ve never thought of your as dad, ever.”

Cooper nodded, unable to speak around the tightness in his throat. For a long moment the brothers just stood in silence before Cooper sighed. “You’re right you know. I don’t know what I’m going to do when you go.”

“Whatever you want. Remember when you were younger? You wanted to move to LA and act?” Blaine grinned as Cooper laughed. 

“That’s not very realistic. Maybe I’ll work more in the restaurant. I’ve been thinking about…buying it someday,” he shrugged. “Maybe I’ll spend more time with Abigail.”

“Oh yeah?” Blaine laughed brightly.

“Or maybe I’ll just move in with you,” he reached up to ruffle Blaine’s hair as he rolled his eyes. 

—

Burt had been in the middle of handing over the keys to the owner of a little Honda when Cooper stepped in. He grinned and waved at the younger man as he instructed the owner on what to expect. 

“Hey there!” He gave Cooper his full attention. “What can I do for you?”

“I need a favor…like a big favor,” Cooper shuffled awkwardly. “I’m sure you know that Blaine got into NYADA.”

“Kurt told me,” Burt nodded. 

“And…money is a bit tight,” Cooper felt warmth flooding through his face. “I’d never ask but I’m already getting a loan from the bank and I don’t think they’ll let me up it anymore. Plus, with Blaine out of the public school system he doesn’t get access to the free therapy. Everything is so much more expensive in New York.”

“How much do you need?” Burt asked gently and Cooper sighed. 

“I don’t want to inconvenience you,” he whispered. 

“Son, I own a successful string of garages. I am a congressman. We’re not really stretched thin. If I can help, I want to,” Burt reached forward and squeezed his shoulder. “Asking for help doesn’t make you weak.  Just know that some people want to help.”

“I really appreciate it,” Cooper grinned brightly. 

It was weird, having the feeling like he belonged to a family, but it was something that Cooper could get used to. 

—

The apartment in New York was small, smelled funny, and parts of it looked like it was going to fall apart any moment. 

It was kind of perfect.

“So, you’ve got everything you need?” Cooper glanced around and Blaine rolled his eyes fondly. “You don’t need me to run to the store again.”

“You’ve gone three times,” Blaine grinned. “You’ll miss your plane.”

“I can get a later flight,” he sighed at the looks Kurt and Blaine shot him. “Fine, fine.” 

With a warm smile, Blaine stepped forward and hugged his brother tightly. Cooper cupped the back of his head and held him, gently rocking them back and forth. Blinking furiously, Blaine fought to keep back the tears that threatened to spill over his cheeks. 

“I’ll call as soon as I land okay?” Cooper’s voice sounded thick as he stepped back. 

“Sure,” Blaine smile wobbled a little. “Thank you Cooper.”

“I love you baby brother,” Cooper said warmly, ruffling Blaine’s hair and pulling him in for a quick hug. “I left something on your dresser by the way.” 

“Love you too big brother,” Blaine gave him one more hug and lightly pushed him to the door. “I’ll be home for Thanksgiving.”

“I’ll be counting down the days,” Cooper smile tearfully and closed the front door behind him.

As soon as the door closed, Blaine swallowed heavily to try to keep the tears at bay. A light touch at his elbow made him turn and Kurt held out a two-sided picture frame. On one side was a picture of him and Cooper at graduation, bright grins in place. On the other side was a picture from their first day in the new apartment. 

He was only five in the picture, his arm encased in a bright pink cast. Cooper looked exhausted and stressed beyond belief but they were both smiling. His brother’s arms were wrapped around him in a hug and Blaine could clearly see the hope in Cooper’s eyes.

“You okay?” Kurt asked gently, rubbing his arm. 

“I’ll be fine,” Blaine smiled. 


End file.
